


FreeFalling

by NikaylaSarae



Category: Sanders Sides (Web Series)
Genre: Acrophobia, Blood, Fear of Heights, Winged!AU, falling, injuries
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-04-30
Updated: 2020-05-05
Packaged: 2021-03-02 00:33:30
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 5,855
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23936143
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/NikaylaSarae/pseuds/NikaylaSarae
Summary: Sometimes you just need to take a leap of faith.
Comments: 13
Kudos: 57





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Cross-posted with minor edits from my tumblr account @stillebesat.

Snow fell in thick fluffy flakes around Patton as he darted barefoot up the hill. This was it. THIS WAS IT! He grinned, a bubble of laughter escaping from him as he weaved through the trees, heading for the clear space beyond. He could feel it. Feel that he was ready. 

“PATTON!” 

The sound of Logan calling his name only spurred him to run faster, heart pounding in his chest. No. NO. He would prove to them that they had nothing to fear. Prove to them that he had been right. That this. This weight on his back was a gift. Not a curse. A gift. 

“PATTON, COME BACK!!” A second voice rang through the air.

Patton shook his head. “No, Roman” He whispered. He wasn’t going back. He wasn’t going to let them crush his dreams. 

“YOU’RE GOING TO GET HURT!” The last voice of their little flock cried out.

Patton bit his lip, chest growing tight before he shoved the feeling away. Maybe so. Maybe he would. But how would Virgil know for sure? None of them had tried this either. They didn’t _want_ to try it. 

He’d seen the fear in their eyes whenever he brought the subject up. It didn’t matter that Logan was ‘studying’ every material source he could find in preparation for it; that Roman was spending all his time in strength training for it; that Virgil continued to state he hadn’t found a suitable practice spot for it. They were afraid and if they had it their way, the others would never try it. 

Patton shook his head. He would prove them wrong. Now was the time to try. They were ready. He was ready. He could feel it. 

The weight on his back shifted as he entered the clearing. His wings, oh, his glorious heart colored wings spread out, stretching to their full length now that he was free of the trees. He quickened his pace, his wings flapping strongly as he ran, sending snowflakes swirling away from him. Patton grinned wider as his bare feet left the frost dusted grass for a split second. 

He loved his wings. Had loved watching them grow and watching the baby fluff molt away into strong vibrant adult feathers. Now. Now he was confident they were strong enough for his first flight.

“STOP!!” 

Patton looked back, unsurprised to see the other three right on his tail. He set his jaw, darting to the edge of the cliff, his wings mantling over him in anticipation. 

He’d always been the slowest when it came to running, the element of surprise the only reason why he’d stayed ahead this long. “Come on.” he whispered, willing his feet to move faster. He had to reach the jumping point before they could block him. He wasn’t afraid like they were. He knew his wings. He believed in them. 

“Pat.” 

He glanced to his right, where Virgil now ran beside him, his own raven colored wings tight against his back.

“Don’t.” Virgil pled, wide eyed. 

Patton shook his head, trying to convey his confidence with a smile. “Trust me.” This would work. THIS WOULD WORK! 

He veered away from Virgil as the other made a grab for his arm, ducked under Roman’s large opalescent wings as he lunged at Patton, and barely avoided Logan’s attempt to tackle him to the ground. He shivered as Logan’s fingers brushed the back of his legs. That was close. But not today, guys. They wouldn’t prevent him today! 

There. His foot landed firmly on the low rock wall marking the edge of the cliff. Using his momentum, Patton leapt into the air, his beloved wings spreading wide behind him as for an instant he hung weightless among the snowflakes.


	2. Chapter 2

His wings snapped back, trailing like a vibrant red streamer behind him as Patton plummeted head first to the icy water below. A scream tore from his throat, quickly lost to the wind roaring in his ears, the falling snow blinding him as he fell, his wings...doing nothing. 

No. Patton clenched his hands as the frozen lake rushed up to meet him. NO. His wings could do this. He would Fly. HE WOULD FLY!! 

The muscles on his back contracted, his wings curving down around his body, speeding his descent. Nononononono. Come on. Come on wings! They could do this! He knew they could. OPEN. FLAP. 

A gust of wind cut across his freefall, sweeping him sideways. His wings snapped out, catching the wind, the left wing tip skimming the frozen waves before he tilted and leveled out, his fall changing to flight as he zoomed across the lake. 

“YAAAAAASSSSSS!!!” He yelled, his heart soaring as he flapped his wings, pulling himself skyward so he wasn’t so close to the ground. He grinned, clenched hands relaxing as the frozen lake kept its distance. He was doing it! He was flying!! 

Patton flapped harder, awkwardly adjusting his trajectory so he spiraled upwards on a small wind current, the snowflakes seemingly hanging in place around him as he rose. 

Giddy laughter sprang once more from his lips. Flying! He was flying!!!! And it was just as glorious as he’d always dreamed it would be. The wind in his face, the weightlessness, the speed! 

He angled his wings, going into a wide turn, the lake’s frozen surface glimmering far below him. This. Was. AMAZING! So much better than flying in an airplane had ever been. 

Patton threw open his arms, flipping onto his back, the wind current carrying him as he stared at the swirling clouds above, his heart dancing in his chest. It all felt so….effortless. He opened his mouth, catching one of the falling snowflakes on his tongue, electrifying his senses. Ooooh. It tasted...magical. Not like catching snowflakes while on the ground at all. This. This was….Ah!! 

Patton curled his wings and dove, racing and spinning with the snowflakes as they fell to the frozen lake below. He laughed, his wings arching, spreading, curling, and twisting, effortlessly guiding him from wind current to current. He could dive so low that if he reached out his fingers would brush the frozen ice caps but then catch an updraft and suddenly be spiraling so high in the sky that the lake looked more like a pond as he frolicked in the middle of the storm. 

Heaven. He was in heaven.

But all too soon, reality had to beckon. A large tremor ran through Patton’s wings that he couldn’t ignore. Already, his wings were tiring from the effort of keeping him airborne. 

With a quiet sigh, Patton spiraled upwards over the cliffs, skimming the tops of the trees as he glided to the jumping point, circling once more over the lake before he flapped hard, instinctively backwinging as he lightly landed in the snow covered clearing. His wings fluttered for a moment before they closed to rest against his back. 

A small smile stayed on his lips as he reached back, fondly brushing his vibrant feathers. He knew he could do it. Knew he could fly. 

Now though, he had to face the musi--Patton frowned, searching the clearing. Empty. His brow furrowed as he turned in place. Where were they?? He’d expected the others to still be there, standing together, waiting for him to come back if only so Logan could give him a long lecture on the foolishness of his actions. 

His shoulders slumped as he turned back to the lake. Well, it had seemed like they cared when they’d tried to stop him from jumping. Had they really gone back to the---Patton paused, eyes widening as he caught movement through the falling snow. Movement in the air. His wings spread, flapping in surprise as he jerked his hands to his mouth. “No, way.” He breathed. “NO WAY.”

Patton broke into a run, darting to the edge of the cliff, waving frantically to the three winged figures flying towards him. 

Virgil with his long dark wings spread wide, gliding above the others. 

Roman with his large opalescent wings nearly blending with the falling snow as he flew along the air currents. 

And finally Logan, his mottled brown wings flapping with precision as he trailed behind the other two by a good hundred yards or so. 

All of them there, in the air. Flying! It was all that Patton had ever wanted to see. 

He laughed, blinking his vision clear as he jumped back into the sky, tired wings forgotten, heart dancing in his chest as he flew out over the lake once more to meet them.

Virgil saw him first, his long wings abruptly half-closing to send him in a sharp dive, buffeting Roman with snow as he shot past him, heading straight for Patton. 

Patton only managed to gain a couple more feet in height before Virgil was there. Flapping hard to slow himself seconds before they collided, Virgil’s darker wings snapped shut as he wrapped his arms around him, burying his head into his chest as Patton’s smaller red wings beat frantically to keep the two of them in the air.   
“  
Safe.” Virgil gasped out, fingers digging into Patton’s shirt. “You’re safe. I thought--” He shuddered. “I don’t...can’t...you...fell.” 

A wave of guilt rushed through him, sitting heavy in his stomach as Patton held tightly to the skinniest member of their flock. Oh Virgil. He hadn’t thought…. Patton squeezed him tighter. 

“Hey, hey.” Patton soothed, running his fingers through Virgil’s shaggy hair as he adjusted his wingbeats to keep them hovering in place. “It was...yah.” He swallowed, brushing Virgil’s feathers. “I’m so sorry you had to see that. I didn’t know…” How could he? Patton had expected to just...fly. He could only imagine what it had looked like for the others to see him plummet. “But, I’m fine, Virgil. I’m fine. See?” He flapped harder for emphasis. 

Virgil let out a shaky breath, hesitantly looking up. “Ye-Yeah.” He swallowed, relaxing his death grip around Patton as he carefully pulled back, his darker wings once more unfolding to flap in time with Patton’s wingbeats. “I--you’re flying.” He whispered, taking Patton’s hands in a tight grip as he pulled out of their embrace, flapping his wings to increase the distance between them enough that they could hover in the air without hitting each other.

“I am.” Patton agreed, relaxing a little as Virgil stayed steady. Now he only had to keep their timid member from remembering he was afraid of heights until the got to land. He grinned, bouncing in place as he met Virgil’s stormy grey eyes. “Think on that, Virge. Not the falling. But that I’m flying!” His red wing brushing Virgil’s black one as he leaned in. “That _you’re flying._ ” 

“Or we’re falling with style!” Roman called, skidding in the air as he shot past them, his opalescent wings flapping erratically in a failed attempt to stop. 

Virgil groaned, half twisting to better see Roman, his grip on Patton’s hands relaxing further. “A Toy Story reference? Seriously, Princey?” 

Roman smirked, flicking Virgil’s wings with his own as he flew past. “Yes. Why not? It was the perfect moment! Because in case you hadn’t noticed, Panic-in-the-Air.” He spread his arms out as wide as he could, his wings briefly mimicking the gesture before flapping harder to keep him in the air. “We’re FLYING!!” 

Virgil rolled his eyes and glanced down. His breath hitched and he jerked his head back up to look at Patton. “Just barely.” He allowed, his pupils dilating as his wings momentarily lost the flapping pattern that kept him hovering.

“No! Not just barely.” Patton disagreed, shaking his head as he tugged at Virgil’s hands. “We’re totally--”

“I concur.” Logan said, finally gliding up to him, his wings trembling as he changed his flap pattern with far more effort than probably necessary to hold himself in place as he adjusted snow covered glasses to stare Patton down with the patented mother’s ‘I’m disappointed in you’ look.

Patton’s heart dropped and he swallowed, hunching his shoulders. He hated that look. It made him feel like he was six again, facing his mom after he’d been caught stealing cookies from the cookie jar. 

It really didn’t help that Patton was the youngest either, but it was beyond no fair that Logan, of all people, had mastered the look. He tried to smile to their leader. “Heh-hey Lo--”

“This was a dangerous stunt, Patton!” Logan interrupted, eyes dark. “Flying out in the middle of a storm.” He gestured, his wings sending snow swirling around them with each labored flap. “On wings that have had no flight experience whatsoever! That are barely strong enough to support you!” 

Patton winced, hunching his shoulders with every word. “That’s not--” He knew his wings were strong enough. He’d known he could fly! 

“But Loga--” Virgil tried to speak at the same time, squeezing Patton’s hands.

Logan cut them off as the oldest boy rounded on the other two. “And you two!” He stabbed a finger at Virgil and Roman. “You took the idiom of being lemmings too far. Jumping off a cliff just because Patton foolishly did is not--”

THEY DID WHAT?! Patton stiffened, heart jumping into his throat as his fingers went white on Virgil’s hands. He hadn’t thought they’d follow hi--what if they had died?! What if--

Roman gave a loud groan, cutting Logan off mid rant. “Lay off, Specs. It’s not like we could go from dead run to dead stop in six inches. We were trying to stop Patton remember? Or did you forget we were running with you?” Roman’s wings buffeted Logan as he glided by in a lazy circle, a sly smile on his lips. “Besides, you jumped too. Wouldn’t that also make you a lemming?” 

The fire vanished from Logan’s eyes as he grimaced, looking away, his hands clenching by his sides. “It appears our wings have an instinctual reaction to fly if another flies. I would not have jumped if that hadn--”

Virgil huffed, blowing his bangs from out of his eyes as he leaned forward, releasing Patton as he turned his hover into a glide, circling around them in the swirling snow. “Bottom line, Logan. You jumped too. Don’t try and explain it away.” He said, giving Patton a supportive smile as he passed by. 

“And what do you mean our wings are ‘just barely’ able to support us?! HA!” Roman scoffed, attempting to hover like the other two, his larger wings beating strongly to keep him in place. “Barely able to support us would have had us on the ground ten minutes ago.” He shook his head. “But look! We zoomed and we whoosed and we dove and climbed! That is more than ‘barely.’” He pointed to Logan. “I’d call this flying!” 

“You’re hovering.” Virgil corrected.

“Whatever!” Roman threw his arms out, accidentally throwing himself into a spin.

Virgil snickered, shoulders relaxing, his wings beating smoothly as he circled the three of them. 

Logan shook his head, his own wings beating slower. Too slowly. Patton frowned, that wasn’t right. That didn’t feel right. He glanced to Virgil, making eye contact before Patton drifted closer to their leader. Shouldn’t Logan know to not flap like that? He was the smart one! He studied all those books. He guided them on how to care for their wings. He should know not to flap that slowly. 

Logan pinched the bridge of his nose. “Granted, but we--”

Roman beat his wings, spinning to get himself back facing the others, unfazed. “I mean, did you see how Patton, dove, and twirled, and whoosed, and well FLEW?!” Roman grinned to him. “You’re a natural Pat! Are you sure you haven’t flown before? Because wow.” 

Patton ducked his head, his cheeks warming at Roman’s praise, even as he kept an eye on Logan. Roman was...complimenting him? “I’m just your average first time flyer, Ro.” He said, softly. “Don’t even have my flying license yet.” 

He looked up as Virgil snorted, his longer wing brushing Patton’s as he drifted past. “Coulda fooled us. You’re a natural.” 

“Average? AVERAGE!” Roman placed a hand to his chest with an offended gasp as he rose above the others. “You, Pat? Never. Your flying has been phenomenal! You’re a master at this!”

Patton shrugged, ducking his head. No, he wasn’t. That should be Logan. Logan was their leader, he was the one who told them what to do, he was the one who kept them together. Patton just...messed things up. He nearly got the other three killed just by jumping off the cliff without considering that they might follow! He--

“With that I can agree.” Logan conceded, frowning at Patton’s smoothly beating wings, his own wings flapping that much harder in response. 

Patton blinked, taking in Logan’s words. Agree? Huh? “Agree with what, Lo?” He asked, hesitantly, fluttering his wings to drift closer to him. It couldn’t be with Roman’s statement. Logan was the one who always excelled in these things. Logan studied trajectories and momentum and other sciencey things while Patton...he just...went with what felt right. 

Logan cleared his throat, adjusting his snow covered glasses. “That...umm…” He shrugged, his wings trembling as they struggled to keep him in a hover. “That you appear to be quite a natural at this, Patton and that I--” He cut off eyes going wide. 

Patton raised an eyebrow. He what? “Lo--?” 

Logan threw his head back in a scream, his back arching as his chocolate colored wings spasmed violently, shaking like a flag caught in a tornado before they froze, falling limply to his sides.

“LOGAN!” Patton’s heart jumped into his throat as he leapt forward, snagging one cool hand before their leader fell more than a couple feet, his own red wings straining to support the additional dead weight. “I got you.” Patton reassured him, hands going white on Logan’s to keep his grip from slipping. “I got you.” 

Logan whimpered, looking up from the icy lake far below them, his wings hanging motionlessly against his back as he met Patton’s eyes with his own terror filled ones. “Don’t let go.”


	3. Chapter 3

A flash of black and Virgil was there, grabbing onto Logan’s other arm, his own wings flapping irregularly as he struggled to keep his longer limbs from colliding with Patton’s. “Hold on!”

Logan grunted, his fingers squeezing theirs until they were white. 

“Can you flap at all, Specs?” Roman demanded, coming down behind him as he grabbed onto Logan’s ankles, lifting him so he was horizontal to the ground below, his white wings struggling to keep him in place without hitting the others. “Help us out a bit?”

Logan pursed his lips, wincing as the muscles in his back strained and twitched. He shook his head as his wings remained motionless. “No.” 

Patton shared a wide-eyed look with Virgil. That wasn’t good. They were too close together, their wings fighting for space. One wrong movement and they’d knock each other out of the sky. Already, he could feel his own wings faltering, could see that the others weren’t much better. They needed to move. They had to land before all of them fell out of the sky. 

“We’re going to die.” Virgil whispered, his wings trembling harder as he went as pale as Logan. _“We’re going to die.”_

Roman shook his head. “Not if we can land!” 

“How!” Virgil asked, hysteria creeping into his voice. “HOW?! With Lo--”

Patton adjusted his grip on Logan, trying to find a better way to better support him than just by the wrist. Logan would have a plan, he always had a plan, he would know how to get them out of this mess that Patton had foolishly gotten them into. 

Roman huffed, his wings beating harder. “I don’t know, Dr. Gloom, but I do know but we need to do som--”

“Like what?” Virgil hissed.

“I’m try--”

“Patton.” Logan’s curt tone cut through the other two’s bickering. 

He silently sighed with relief. Logan had come up with a plan. They were sav--

“What do we do?” Logan asked, the muscles on his back twitching again as he made eye contact.

Patton gaped, his own tiring wings going still for two beats as his mind stuttered. “Me?” He squeaked. But he wasn’t---It was Logan who came up with the--LOGAN! He was--Logan was asking him?! 

Logan squeezed his hand. “You. Get us home, Pat.”

“BUT!” No! Like. He flew, yes! But...it-he NO! 

Roman’s wings shuddered, dropping him a foot before he managed to rise again. “Padre--We got to land.” 

“We trust you, Pat.” Virgil said, lifting his chin, offering him a shaky smile. “Get us home.” 

Logan tugged at his hand, forcing Patton to make eye contact. “You have an instinctive feel for this and it works.” He said with more assurance than Patton had ever heard directed at him before. “You led us up, lead us down.” 

Patton swallowed, nodding. “Okay.” He whispered, looking to Virgil, to Roman, to Logan, mind spinning. Instinct. Get them down. He couldn’t...No. He would. “Okay.” 

Logan couldn’t fly, the rest of them were fading out quickly. Sooo. Glide? Glide. It would put less strain on their wings. They only needed….He searched to the sky, watching the snow as it floated along the various currents. There! Below them. A fast moving airstream that would take them towards the cliff.

Patton nodded to himself. They could do that. But first. He glanced to Virgil and his longer wings that would need the most room to fly. “Virgil, switch Roman places.” He said, trying to go for Logan’s confident tone as he tightened his grip on their leader’s arm. “Roman come up and help me spread Lo’s wings so he can glide.” And hopefully be less of a dead weight to them. 

Logan shook his head. “I can’t move them, I doubt they’ll stay open on their own.”

“Ro and I will hold them, don’t worry.” Patton reassured, nodding to Virgil to move down. 

Virgil made a face, swallowing as he reluctantly let go of Logan’s arm and ducked underneath him to grab onto his ankles without hitting Roman’s wings. “I got him.” 

Roman let go as soon as Virgil spoke, flapping harder to rise up over Logan to allow Virgil to come out from underneath, the two switching places with ease. 

Patton exhaled as Roman took up Logan’s arm, relieving the strain on Patton in keeping Logan horizontal. It worked! He couldn’t quite believe it. 

“Alright…” Roman grunted, twisting one wing to duck underneath Patton’s. “Wings?” He asked.

“Wings.” Patton agreed, keeping one hand tight on Logan’s as he reached out for the nearest chocolate colored limb. 

Logan hissed, biting back another whimper as they pulled his wings from his sides. He let out a shuddering breath. “Ow.” 

Patton flinched. “Sorry.” It was a necessary evil if it would help lessen the strain on the others. He bit his lip, realizing the first flaw to his plan as he stretched his arm out full length, only to have Logan’s wings remain partially spread. Shoot. To glide they needed them stretched all the way out.

Roman grunted, his wide wings fluttering as he too pulled Logan’s wing open as wide as he could. “I can’t hold onto his arm and fully spread the wing, Pat.” 

“I know.” He squeezed Logan’s hand tighter. To spread the wings...they’d have to let go of Logan’s hands. He shuddered at the thought. What if it didn't work! But...what else could they do? 

“Keep a tight grip on it, Ro.” He said, steeling himself. He could just picture the wings pulling out of their grips and Logan plummeting to the gro--no. Patton shook his head. Don’t think that! Logan wouldn’t plummet. Virgil had a hold on his ankles. That would give them a chance to grab Logan if this didn't work.

Patton squeezed their leader's hand, offering him a shaky smile. “I got you.” He repeated.

Logan smiled, his hand going lax. “I know.” 

So simple a statement, but….Logan trusted him. Him. Patton. Not Roman. Not Virgil. Him. His wings fluttered, finding strength as warmth rushed through him. Logan trusted him. He wouldn’t fail. Taking a breath, Patton let go and grabbed the wing with both hands, back-winging as quickly as he could to pull the limb out to its full length. 

He winced as Logan cried out, his heart jumping in his throat as the wind caught the wing, nearly jerking it out of his grip as it gave Logan lift. 

Logan ducked his head down, his chest heaving, his hands spasming while Roman pulled the other one out straight. 

“Sorry.” Patton whispered, his fingers going pale white against the chocolate feathers as he fought against the storm trying to take Logan away from him. “I got you.” 

“We got you.” Roman corrected with a grunt. 

“It’s...it’s..” Logan, bit back a scream as his body spasmed again “It...hurts.” He gasped out. 

Patton’s heart twisted at the words. “I’m sorry.” He whispered. “So sorry.” It was his fault Logan was in pain! He shou--Patton cut himself off with a quiet growl. No. Focus! They had the wings spread and had gained enough distance between each other to fly smoothly. That was progress! His plan was working and the faster he got the rest of it in motion, the quicker they would stop hurting their leader. They just needed to get down to the correct airstream now. 

Patton looked over his shoulder to where Virgil hovered, deathly pale but steady, hugging Logan’s feet tight to his chest while a continuous tremor ran through his darker wings as they flapped. Patton gave him an encouraging smile. “Spread your wings out as wide as you can.” He said. “Hold them steady.” 

Virgil’s wings fluttered. “Steady?” He repeated, faintly before violently shaking his head. “We’ll fall!”

No. Patton wouldn’t let that happen. “Not in the correct air current, it will hold us.” He said jerking his head towards the current in question. “We won’t need to flap then.”

“Padre….are you sure?” Roman asked, his own larger wings slowing in their flaps as he reluctantly spread them out. 

“Quit questioning Pat and do what he says.” Logan growled, grabbing his wings, doing his best to help hold them straight.“Or do you want--” He gasped, closing his eyes, twisting as his wings convulsed, fighting to pull free from their hands.

Patton wrestles with the wing, mouth bared in a snarl. NO. He backwinged, fighting to keep the limb straight. Nonononoo. 

Roman roared his defiance, his arms jerking about as he fought to get Logan’s wing straight again. 

They needed to get down. Now! “DIVE!” Patton yelled. “Just Dive!” He tilted his wings pulling the others down, their wings curving to speed their descent the falling snow blurred around them.

It felt like an eternity. The air current never seeming to get closer until--There! His wings caught the rushing air. “Level out!’ He yelled, his wings trembling as he pulled himself out of the dive. 

Virgil cried out and Patton turned in time to see one of his wings snap shut, dropping him below Logan, pulling at the others as his remaining wing desperately flapped to keep him in the air. 

“VIRGIL!” Patton had to hel--but how! He had to hold onto Logan or all of them woul---They were going to!! NO!!

Virgil looked up, meeting Patton’s eyes as he snarled, eyes blazing with fury as his wing shot open, leveling him out. “GO.” 

Patton’s wings reacted before his brain did, twisting in the current to catch the best draft, sending the four of them shooting like arrows towards the top of the cliffs. 

Come on. Come on! They just had to last a bit longer! Come on---

Roman’s wings curled in on themselves, violently shaking before he managed to straighten them. “Pat.” 

“Hold on!” Please. Please. They were so close. They had this! “We got this!” He called as the cliff finally closed within reach. “We’re almost--”

A roaring tornado like wind caught the four of them just as they reached the edge, smashing and tearing into them with force while flinging snow into their faces effectively blinding them. 

Patton cried out as he knocked heads with both Logan and Roman, their yells ringing in his ears before the wind tore them all apart, Logan’s feathers slicing along Patton’s fingers before they vanished into the storm, leaving Patton holding nothing. He gasped reaching out desperately, blinking the snow out of his eyes. NO! He-- “LO!!” 

A second air current pummeled into Patton, collapsing his tired wings flat against his back as the storm slammed him into the snow on top of the cliff like a child throwing a tantrum. 

Patton inhaled raggedly, his burning lungs heaving for air as he struggled to push himself out of the thick layer of snow, stars swimming in his vision. His wings weakly flapped against his sides, before falling limp, too exhausted to move as he staggered to his feet, “G-GUYS!?” He yelled, wincing as his chest protested. 

Silence.

Please. Please no! _Please!!!_ Patton prayed spinning in place, desperately searching the sky, the snow covered clearing, not daring to look over the edge six feet away from him. 

He dropped a hand to his protesting side as he called out again. “LOGAN! VIRGIL! ROMAN! ANSWER ME!” 

Stupid. So stupid! He’d killed them! All because he’d forgotten the currents were different along the cliffs! They were stronger, more unpredictable. Logan had told him again and again and no--” He inhaled raggedly, fingers burning from the wounds Logan’s feathers had left there. “GUYS?!” His vision blurred. Please. Where were--

A groan sounded from a large trembling mound of snow to his right, followed quickly by a curse from behind as Virgil pushed himself out from his own pile of snow, his black wings hanging loosely down his back. He hissed, grabbing his blood covered shoulder as he looked up, meeting Patton’s eyes. “That...hurt.” He whispered, lifting his other hand to press against a gash across his forehead.

Patton choked back a sob. Alive! VIRGIL WAS ALIVE! He stumbled to his side, collapsing to his knees as he forced his injured fingers to check Virgil’s wings, brushing at the snow coating them. “I’m sorry. So sorry. I didn’t remember! I can’t beli--I’m so sorr--!”

He flinched as a red speckled opalescent wing shot out of the snow, glazing both of them in layer of slush as Roman groaned once more. “Pat.” He said, lifting his head from the snow. “As much as I love How to Train Your Dragon--” He lifted his other wing to reveal Logan lying prone underneath him, his chocolate wings tucked firmly against his body. “I didn’t need to reenact the climax.” He said sitting up, wincing as he fingered a large purpling bruise already forming on his temple. 

Alive. 

Patton slumped, hugging himself, trying to hold back sobs as relief washed through him. They were there. They were all---Why wasn’t Logan moving? He scrambled to their leader's side, ducking under Roman’s larger wings as they shifted, lifting over their heads to act like an umbrella for their leader, protecting him from the falling snow. 

Was he alright? He had to be alright. “Logan!” 

Logan winced at the noise, eyes fluttering behind his skewed glasses as he pressed the palm of his hand to his forehead. “Mmm.” Came the mumbled response.

Patton hesitated, hand outstretched and pulled back, ducking his head. “I’m sorry.” He whispered, shivering as his wings shifted sluggishly against his back. “I messed it up.” It was only pure dumb luck that all four of them had ended up on the ground and alive. The wind could have dropped them to the lake below. It could have slammed them against the cliffside! They could have all DIED. His breathing hitched. “Y-y-ou sh-shouldn’t have put me i-i-in charge to get down! W-we could have been killed be-because I forgo--”

He jerked as Logan grabbed his hand, squeezing it. “You did fine.” Their leader said quietly, wincing as he pushed himself up onto one elbow, a tremor running through his wings. He offered a weak smile. “The cliff winds aren’t easy to predict even in good weather.”

“But we got to the ground, Pat.” Roman said, laying a hand on Patton’s knee. 

“In one piece even.” Virgil added, ducking under Roman’s wings, his own longer dark ones shakily spreading out to act like a wall to Roman’s roof as he stiffly knelt.

Patton shook his head, feeling his burning hands. “But we’re hurt--”

“And thanks to your guidance,” Logan said, offering him a rare smile. “They are injuries we’ll quickly recover from, Patton. I doubt any of us could have found another way nor got us all back to the ground as quickly. You did good under the circumstances and,” He shrugged. “I would follow your guidance again without question.” 

He would? Patton sniffed, roughly brushing at the tears welling in his eyes. Logan would...he would follow him?! Even after their disastrous landing, Logan still had confidence in him? 

“Same here, Pat.” Virgil said, leaning against Patton in their small shelter of wings. “You got us up and got us down.” 

“And a grand adventure never occurs without its hiccups.” Roman agreed, grinning at Patton as he dropped his hand from his head. “Pat, I too would follow you anywhere in the sky. None of us could have done it better.” 

Better would have been never flying out into the storm in the first place. But...they---trusted him. They...they had flown. They’d lived.

Patton brushed his eyes, taking calming breaths as he leaned into Virgil, giving them all a shaky smile. 

“Thanks.” He whispered, stretching his wings to wrap one around Virgil and the other around Logan. He reached out his free hand to take Roman’s. “Next time--” 

The others blanched, startling a shaky laugh from him. “Not right now.” Patton quickly reassured them. No, if his wings felt like he’d just run a marathon with a mountain on his back, he could only imagine how the others felt. They would need time to rest and recover first. “We’ll take it slower. Do this together.” 

Virgil relaxed, resting his head on Patton’s shoulder. “Together. In better and warmer weather.”

“Together. Soaring high in the sky with the lake shimmering like a crown jewel below us.” Roman proclaimed, eyes gleaming. 

Patton licked his lips, looking to their leader. “Lo?” He asked quietly. What did he think? 

Logan tilted his head, silently studying each of them in turn. 

Patton couldn’t help but hold his breath under the scrutiny, his heart pounding. Would he say no? Was he just pretending to approve of Patton’s methods to--

Logan smiled, eyes alight with confidence as he squeezed Patton’s hand. “Together.” He agreed, his wings carefully stretching out to complete their circle of protection from the storm.


End file.
